The invention pertains to bag dispensers, and in particular to disposal bag dispensers.
Bags, especially disposable bags, are typically manufactured in continuous lengths, with the bottom of one bag separated from the top of an adjacent bag by a line of weakness, such as perforation, such that the bags can be easily separated for use. The bags are typically formed by sealing two sheets of material (such as polyethylene). The continuous lengths of bags are typically wound in rolls (e.g., MIA interleaved rolls) to aid in dispensing and to save on space, which is often at a premium. The rolls of bags are often inserted into containers, such as boxes, to provide a convenient means to transport, store and dispense the bags.
A common use of disposable bags is for containing and disposing of waste, such as medical waste, including medical devices, trash and linens, which may constitute biohazardous materials. Hospitals, medical practitioners, and the like often use such disposable bags in their practice to contain and dispose of medical waste produced in their practice. The amount of waste produce in such practice often varies widely.
For environmental and economic reasons, it is often desirable to use the smallest size bag practicable to contain and dispose of such waste. Therefore, it is desirable for medical practitioners to have a plurality of sizes of disposable waste bags on hand. The axial dimension, or axial length of a given roll of bags (i.e., the length of the longitudinal axis thereof) is dictated by the width of the bags (i.e., the distance between the sides of each bag). The diameter of the roll is dictated by a number of factors including, the number of bags on the roll, the tightness of the roll, the diameter of the core of the roll, if any (e.g., a cardboard tube), and the thickness of the material used to form the bags.
Also, it is desirable for such plurality of sizes of bags to be easily accessible to the medical practitioner. However, the space available for locating and storing such bags is often very limited. Therefore, what is desired is an inexpensive, disposable means to conveniently and economically store bags, such a medical waste disposal bags, such that a plurality of sizes of bags are easily accessible to the user.
The present invention, which satisfies the above objections, is a container, preferably in the form of a re-usable, disposable, cardboard parallelpipe, or rectangular container, which includes a plurality of compartments of various lengths for holding a number of rolls of bags of corresponding dimensions. The container includes dispensing openings, which communicate with the compartments. Each dispensing opening is sized according to the dimensions of the of the roll contained in the compartment accessed by the opening.
The interior of the container is preferably divided into six compartments by three interconnecting, slotted cardboard panels which are inserted into the container. Preferably, the rolls in the container are of substantially equal diameter, and only vary in axial. Therefore, the lateral cross section of each compartment is substantially equal.
Spacing inserts, also preferably formed from cardboard, are inserted into certain ones of the compartments which hold rolls of bags having relatively short axial lenghts to decrease the longitudinal dimension of the certain compartments. The spacing inserts serve limit the movement of the rolls within the compartments and server to align the rolls with the dispensing openings. Accordingly, the spacing inserts are sized according to the longitudinal dimension of the compartment and the axial length of the roll within the compartment.
Preferably, four xe2x80x9ccornerxe2x80x9d dispensing openings are located on opposed (right angle) edges of the container, and two xe2x80x9ccenterxe2x80x9d dispensing openings are located along longitudinal center lines of the (flat) top and bottom of the container, respectively.
Preferably, the longitudinal dimension of the container is sized according to the size of the xe2x80x9clargestxe2x80x9d roll(s), that is the roll or rolls having the greatest longitudinal dimension, and the dispensing openings are all preferably generally aligned with at least one end of the container. The dispensing openings associated with the largest rolls are preferably aligned substantially equidistant to the opposed ends of the container. The dispensing openings for relatively shorter rolls are preferably generally aligned toward one end of the container. Preferably, all of the dispensing opening for the shorter rolls are generally aligned toward the same end of the container.
To maintain the structural integrity of the container, the ends of each dispensing opening are spaced a distance inwardly from the ends of the container. Specifically, the ends of the dispensing openings associated with largest-sized rolls are spaced a predetermined distance away from each end of the container. The ends of the dispensing openings associated with the relatively shorter rolls are preferably spaced the same predetermined distance from the end of the container with which the dispensing opening is aligned. It can be appreciated that, since the relatively shorter dispensing openings can be of various sizes, the distance from the relatively shorter dispensing openings to the end of the container opposed from the end with which these dispensing openings are respectively generally aligned will vary depending on their length. As stated above, preferably each relatively shorter dispensing opening is generally aligned with the same end of the container.
One of the two end flap panels on each end of the container projects a predetermined distance inwardly into the cavity of the container. The inwardly-projecting end flap panels include abutment panels which the slotted inserts and the spacing inserts contact. Preferably, the inward-projecting end flap panels also provide abutment surfaces for both ends of the largest sized rolls, and for one end of the relatively shorter rolls. It can be appreciated that the associated spacing insert provides a similar abutment surface for the end of the (relatively shorter) roll adjacent thereto. The abutment panels of the inwardly-projecting end flaps are located inside the cavity of the container and are located at predetermined distance from the adjacent end of the cavity so as to substantially align the adjacent ends of the rolls with one end of the dispensing openings. The spacing inserts project inwardly from the opposite inwardly projecting end flap sufficient to substantially align the ends of the (relatively shorter) rolls adjacent thereto with the opposite end of the dispensing opening.
The exterior of the container is preferably formed from a unitary, two-dimensional piece of corrugated cardboard, which is dye-cut to form the a flat blank. Fold lines are scored into the flat blank forming a top panel, a bottom panel, two sides panels, four side flap panels, four end flap panels, and edge flap portions, which edge flap portions extend from the end flap panels. In addition, the exterior is punched to form the dispensing openings and to form integral closure latches and associated closure slots for each end of the container.
The slotted panels are formed in a similar manner, by dye-cutting and/or dye-cutting a flat blank of cardboard to form the periphery of the slotted panels, as well as the slots therein. The spacing inserts are preferably formed from a unitary, cardboard flat blank which is die-cut to form individual right-angle, X-shaped blanks, which are then scored to form fold lines separating an end portion and top, bottom and two side portions each connected to the end portion.
Rolls of bags can be replaced, once expended, by opening one of the ends of the container (preferably the end without the spacing inserts), removing the spent roll, inserting a new roll, and re-closing the container. Thus, the container can be re-filled and re-used at will.